The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-02-03

boxes. Before that obstacle they were indee.l
powerless, and so the.brigade fell back some
hundreds of yards to the ressr and took up
new position. It is sufficient to say of them
that toward night they got one square meal.
and then moved over to the left of the Federal
forces to support the troops fighting there.
The morning progressed. It began to leok
indeed as if Pillow was going to carry out his
threat to aroli the enemy over" MeArthurs
brigade had crumbled awsy. So had
Oglesby's Netherlands division was in the
gravest danger. In tbs center, Lew Wallace,
with the Third division, was lying inactive.
His orders were TO act on the defensive and
watch the Confederates to prevent their es-
Gaping his way.
Pillows division, in deploymg, spread wider
and wider, and more and more toward Lew
Wallace McClernands division began to
WAIVER. Three Confederate batteries, Mancy's,
Porter's and Graves. poured steady fire into
it. Buckner was advancing, too, with his
men, with Forests cavalry fitting about the
outskirts.
The three Federal batteries had exhausted
their ammunition. Taylor's alone had fired
that morning !. 200 rounds. Buclner had or
dered an advance of three regiments before
noon. They had been met with a blindin.
fire from Col ". H. l. Wallace's brigade.
Snow flying in the cir confused them so That
they could not sec their way besides, and
they fell back to their entertainments IN dis
order.
But presently Buckner gathered his forces
and came gallantly on again
McClernand sent word to Lew Wallace 20
aid him. In the absence OF positive orders
from headquarters Wallace declined to move.
The place grew hotter and hotter Col.
John A Logan was wounded. GcCleTnand
again sent word to Nallace, and this time
Wallace ordered forward Col. CrGits
brigade, the first in his division. Here an tll-
fortunate mistake occurred, and several regi-
mentS Of Federal soldiers fired into each
other, doing serious damage. Cyuft's brigade
took the places of SIcATtliur' exhausted men.
Crufts men fought aaiiantly, but at length
fell back some distance and took up position
near the hospital
When Logan was wounded he, suggested to
Col. I. Z. G.. Ransom, Of the Eleventh Hi
nois, to take his place with the Eleventh
Ransom, too, had been wounded, bat hid had
his wound dressed. Both were heroes that
day. Logan's regiment was quite out OF am
munition, therefore forced u fall back, whel
its commander went 10 have his wound
dressed. The Thirty-tis1st marched back Tor
ammunition, leaving the Eleventh alone III
the fray. But the Eleventh was attacked not
only in front, but on both TANKS, and finally
broke and retreated.
Gen Wallace still waited, with his division
in line, for orders from Grant. McClelTand'S
second message had been that his TANKS were
turned and his whole command was erdan-
gered. 1t was then that Col. Crutts brigade
| was sent to his relief. But the Confederate
| pillows still swept on. Fugitives from the
| fight scattered down the hill behind Naliace's
! division. A mounted officer galloped by. He
had lost his head completely, and shouted to
| the general: I've are cut tn pieces
Then Lew Wallace took the responsibility
| of the order of battle upon his own shoulders.
| Instantly he ordered up his ihird brigade, Col.
Thayer commanding, and threw 1t across be
| tween the broken troops and the advancing
| Confederates. Other regiments were behind
as reserve. He had barely got them in line
| when Pillow and Buckner. combined, swep;
| down upon them. Tho brigade stood like q
| rock. Here was some OF the most splendid
| fighting of the war.
The First Nebraska regiment ard Wood!
! Chicago light artillery received the shoclc
| first, and here at last the Confederate billov7
were thrown back They had struck a s.;
| wall, and could sweep no further. They
| withdrew" said Gen. Buc1rer, ''in some con
fusion, but without panic, to the trenches.
! 1t was about nor This Was The end of +i''
'sortie. Lew Wallace had saved the day a
| at DonelSOn.